


Pain and Comfort

by M_E_Lover



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Poor Harold!, Why Do I Do It?, fluff?, oddgit says it's fluff, so it's fluff!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-19
Updated: 2019-10-19
Packaged: 2020-12-23 21:49:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21088370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/M_E_Lover/pseuds/M_E_Lover
Summary: After two days straight working the numbers Harold's damaged body finally rebels. John to the rescue.





	Pain and Comfort

**Author's Note:**

> As always Thank you to oddgit!!!! You're the best!
> 
> Comments are always appreciated thank you!!!!

Harold had overdone it again. Two days straight with no sleep, no real rest and barely time to go to the bathroom between numbers had left him and the team utterly exhausted.

Shaw and Root had taken Bear with them and finally retreated to their apartment leaving Harold and John left alone at the subway.

*****

“Are you okay?” John asked tentatively.

Harold had finally laid down on the mattress they’d set up for Root while Shaw was being held captive. The adrenaline from the past few hours had worn off and John had noticed that Harold was in crash and burn mode.

He was beat to hell himself while he’d watched his poor partner barely able to move himself from his desk to the back room while he was stowing the weapons away.

Harold thought everyone had left and if he had enough strength he’d glare at the man asking the obviously dumb question. As it was he could only close his eyes, lay as still as he possibly could, and pray that he pass out soon.

He could practically feel John standing over him and it irked him, “There’s nothing… you can do,” he gasped haltingly. All he wanted was to be left alone, to suffer in private but as usual John had other ideas. “Go home… Mister Reese.”

“Are you sure, Finch?” he asked sympathetically, “Do you need something to eat or drink before I head out?”

Harold couldn’t move for the pain, it would be unwise to even try, and he was having tremendous difficulty comprehending anything around him while his consciousness zoned in and out, peaking and ebbing in its tortuous intensity.

“Finch?” John dared ask again. The thought of leaving Harold like that didn’t feel right; he couldn’t bring himself to abandon him in such bad shape.

Harold cracked an eye open, somewhat surprised to see John’s hazy image above him. What did he want? Why was he still there?

John knew Harold didn’t hear him, or if he did, it swam away with that last wave of agony he watched wash over his face. “Can I get you anything?” he asked again softly. “Did you take something for the pain?”

Harold did manage to glare at him then, “I’m waiting for them to kick in…” he hissed through clenched teeth and closed his eyes against the shaft of light from outside the room haloing John in the doorway and Root's lava lamp doing its thing on the makeshift nightstand, “It seems they’ve… decided to… punish me… by taking their sweet time.” 

John could hear just how dire the situation was in Harold’s voice. Very few times in their relationship had Harold ever allowed his pain to show through the stoic mask he wore on a daily basis, much less bring attention to it on his own.

John couldn’t begin to describe how much it upset him to see the misery his partner was in as he laid there… his body unconsciously trembling from it.

“I… I’m not sure… how much more… I can take...” Harold’s entire body shuddered and a quiet sob escaped his lips as a particularly acute jolt of agony shot through his lower back, radiating throughout his entire nervous system. “Please… please _go_, John.” he hissed. As bad off as he was, he hated the idea of being seen, being _watched_ by anyone. He despised being helpless, inadequate… useless.

He lay there quaking, trapped in a horribly debilitated state, fighting to breathe through the agony until _finally_, his damaged body began to relax. His respiration slowed and the lava coursing through his bloodstream cooled to a manageable temperature.

Harold wasn’t sure how much time went by as he dozed in and out in his worthless body, completely drained. But the next thing he knew, he felt the gentle touch of someone’s hand.

He gathered every ounce of strength he could find and opened his weary eyes. A wave of tender affection surged through him as he saw John beside him, fast asleep on a cot he’d pulled in from who knows where, his fingers intertwined with his own.

Harold smiled, closed his eyes and slept in blessed relief with his best friend and partner doing what he does best… taking care of him.


End file.
